Fixture for taping folded newspapers



July 12, 1966 c. E. SMITH 3,260,432

FIXTURE FOR TAPING FOLDED NEWSPAPERS Filed Sept. 8, 1964 INVENTOR. (Ike/P044 FM/7w,

United States Patent 3,26%,432 Patented July 12, 1966 3 260 432 FIXTURE FOR TAPII VG FOLDED NEWSPAPERS Carroll E. Smith, 2336 Graydon, Monrovia, Calif. Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,663

4 Claims. (Cl. 22577) The present invention relates generally to tape dispensers and particularly to a dispenser for dispensing and applying pressure sensitive tape.

' aspects, the invention A particularly useful application of the dispenser involves the home delivery of newspapers by a delivery boy on a bicycle.

papers in folding, securing, and delivering the newspapers is thereby substantially reduced. While the dispenser is particularly adapted for installation on a bicycle, it may be mounted on a stationary support or in an automotive vehicle. Moreover, while the despenser is intended primarily for applying pressure sensitive tape about folded newspapers, it may be used for other purposes.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a novel tape dispenser of the character de scribed.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a tape dispenser which permits a length of pressure sensitive tape to be applied about an article with one hand.

to provide a tape the appended claims and the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser according to the present invention installed on a bicycle;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective rear View of the dispenser of FIGURE 1 FIGURE FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken at line 4-4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken at line 55 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 66 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 7 is an exploded parts shown in FIGURE 6.

The illustrated tape dispenser 10 comprises support- 3 is a sectional view taken at line 33 of perspective view of the a rectangular channel having downwardly directed side walls 14 joined along their upper edges by a connectnormally vertical the support. On

pin is a sleeve 42 from which extends a transverse threaded ably, and 52, respectively, providing effective and handle bar.

the clamp arms 32 and 38 have resilient inserts 50 engageable with the handle bar 25 for frictional contact between the clamp clamp bores 30, and tightening the thumb screws 54 against the supporting arms. The elevation of the tape support I2 is simply adjusted by releasing the screws 54.

Mounted on the under side of the housing 12, ad-

I) a by welding, to the inner surfaces of the tape support side walls 14 and depend a distance below the support. Adjacent their lower ends, the arms 62 have transverse slots 64 opening through their left hand edges, as the arms are viewed in FIGURES 4, 6 and 7. Along their right hand edges, the arms have upwardly presented shoulders 66 located a distance above the slots 64. Arms 62 rotatably support the ends of a shaft 68 which extends across the space between the arms. To this end, the shaft 68, which is somewhat larger in diameter than the width of the slots 64, is circumferentially grooved adjacent its ends at 70 to rotatably fit in the slots. The side walls of the grooves 70 define axially facing shoulders on the shaft engageable with the support arms 62 at opposite sides of the slots 64 to retain the shaft axially. The tape roll 58 is disposed between the support arms 62 and has a central opening 72 which loosely receives the shaft 68, whereby the tape roll is rotatably held by the tape roll mounting means 56.

Slidable on each support arm 62 is a shaft retainer 74. Each retainer 74 comprises a generally L-shaped member with angularly disposed legs 78 and $0. Extending through each retainer 74, parallel to the retainer leg 80, is a rectangular slot 82. The upper end of this slot opens through the upper surface of and is bounded on all four sides by the leg 78 of the retainer. The lower end of the slot opens through the inner and lower edges of the retainer leg 80. The retainers 74 are slidably positioned on the support arms 62 above the shoulders 66. Accordingly, the retainers are movable downwardly along the support arms 62 to lower limiting positions wherein the retainer legs 78 seat against the support arm shoulders 66. When in these lower limiting positions, the retainer legs 80 extend downwardly across the open ends of the support arm slots 64 to retain the tape roll shaft 68 in the slots. The shaft 68 may be removed from the support arms, to permit replacement of the tape roll, by sliding the retainers 74 upwardly to clear the support arm slots.

Rigidly joined, as by welding, to the inner surfaces of the tape support side walls 14, approximately between the ends of the support, are a pair of support arms 84 which also depend below the support. Disposed between and rotatably supported on the lower ends of these arms is a tape positioning means, shown to be a roller 86. As shown best in FIGURE 4, a depending length of the tape 60 is trained around and hangs vertically from the roller 86.

Rigidly mounted on the under side of the tape support 12, at the end thereof, remote from the tape roll 58, is a tape cutter 88. This cutter is shown to comprise a blade which extends between and is rigidly joined, as by welding, to the inner surfaces of the housing side walls 14. The cutting edge of the blade extends along the lower edge of the blade.

In use of the dispenser 10, the depending length of the tape 60 is trained about the roller 86 and normally hangs downwardly therefrom. Preferably, the lower extremity of the tape is anchored by temporary attachment to a tape anchor on the dispenser base. In the drawings, for example, the lower extremity of the tape is pressed against the underlying frame member 90 of the bicycle, in the manner shown in FIGURE 2, which frame member, then forms a tape anchor. To this end, the dispenser is mounted on the handle bar 25 of the bicycle in a position wherein the dispenser roller 86 is located over the frame member 90. When applying the tape 60 to a folded newspaper, the latter is grasped with one hand and pressed against the adhesive side of the tape 60 in the manner illustrated in solid lines in FIGURE 2. Thereafter, the paper is moved in a generally circular path, upwardly and toward the end of the tape support 12 mounting the cutter 88, and the paper is simultaneously rotated to wrap the tape about the paper, as shown in phantom lines in FIG- URE 2. This motion of the paper is carried out in such manner that the paper is moved from its initial position I,

through an intermediate position II, to a final position III, wherein the paper is located just beyond the cutter end of the tape support 12 and the tape 60 engages the cutter 88 just beyond the edge of the folded paper, thereby to sever the length of tape about the paper from the supply roll. The folded paper may now be thrown from the bicycle, while in motion, without scattering of the paper. The dispenser is conditioned for reuse by pressing the free end of the tape against the bicycle frame member 90, as explained earlier. It is apparent that the operations described above may be carried out by a delivery boy on the bicycle using one hand, thereby leaving the other hand free to steer the bicycle.

As explained earlier, while the present dispenser 10 is particularly adapted for installation on a bicycle, it may be installed on an automotive vehicle or on a stationary support, if desired. Moreover, the tape dispenser may obviously be used for purposes other than applying pressure sensitive tape to newspapers.

It is evident at this point that the invention provides a tape dispenser having a base, which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is a bicycle, a tap support including means 56 for rotatably mounting a supply roll of pressure sensitive tape in such manner that a substantial clearance space is provided between the base and the tape support and supply roll, tape positioning means 86 on the tape support for supporting and positioning a depending length of the pressure sensitive tape to hang downwardly below the support and supply roll into the clearance space between the support and the dispenser base, the tape anchor on the base below the tape positioning means for temporary attachment to the free or lower extremity of the depending tape length, and a cutter on the tape support. The tape dispenser is constructed and arranged in such a way that a depending length of tape is disposed for application to an article, such as the illustrated folded newspaper, by initial movement of the article through the clearance space between the dispenser base and tape support into adhesive contact with the adhesive surface of the depending tape length and subsequent upward arcuate movement of the article through the clearance space in simultaneous rotation of the article to wrap the depending tape length about the article. During this application of the tape to the article, the depending tape length swings upwardly in a generally vertical plane normal to the plane of the depending tape length and toward the tape support 12 to a final position of severing engagement with the tape cutter 88. It is significant to note that the supporting members 22 which mount the tape support 12 on the dispenser base are laterally offset from this plane of swinging movement of the depending tape length in such manner that these supporting members do not obstruct th clearance space between the base and tape support and thus do not inhibit movement of the article being taped through the clearance space in the manner just explained.

Those versed in the art will appreciat that the present invention achieves the objects and realizes the advantages hereinbefore mentioned.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that the same is merely exemplary of presently preferred embodiments capable of attaining the objects and advantages hereinbefore mentioned, and that the invention is not limited thereto; variations will be readily apparent to those versed in the art, and the invention is entitled to the broadest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims.

The inventor claims:

1. In combination, supporting means for rotata'bly mounting a roll of pressure-sensitive tape in an elevated position on a supporting structure, positioning means for mounting a depending length of said tape to hang downwardly, a cutter spaced from the positioning means, and means connected with the supporting means and beneath the positioning means for attachment of the depending tape to the article.

2. A tape dispenser for applying pressure sensitive tape to an article, comprising: a base,

said article through said clearance space into adhesive consequent upward arcuate movement of said article through said clearance space and simultaneous rotation of said arti- 4. A tape dispenser for applying pressure sensitive tape to an article, comprising supporting means including a tape means on said support for supporting and positioning a free length of said tape in a position wherein the free exarticle to said clearance space into adhesive contact With the adhesive sur face of said tape length and subsequent References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1888 Eastin 225 11/1890 Schenck 22580 8/1897 Roberts 280289 8/1898 Brigg 280-289 4/1901 Hull 225- X 9/1901 Seawright 225-77 11/1912 Wilkinson et a1 225-47 8/1928 Barker et al 225-90 X 12/1936 King 22542 X 11/1942 Broeren 225-43 5/1943 Mason 225-43 3/1944 Adams 53-198 8/1948 Van Cleef et al 225-80 3/ 1952 Tringali. 2/ 1954 Council. 5/1957 Vogt 22525 X 12/1957 Vogt 225-25 X 2/1959 Bogeskov 533 6/1959 Fishel et al 22580 X 11/1961 Burcz 22590 X 3/1962 Hlavacek 533 FOREIGN PATENTS 8/1951 France. 12/ 1952 Sweden.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner. DONALD L. MAXSON, Examiner. J. M. MEISTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, SUPPORTING MEANS FOR ROTATABLY MOUNTING A ROLL OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE TAPE IN AN ELEVATED POSITION ON A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, POSITIONING MEANS FOR MOUNTING A DEPENDING LENGTH OF SAID TAPE TO HANG DOWNWARDLY, A CUTTER SPACED FROM THE POSITIONING MEANS, AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE SUPPORTING MEANS AND BENEATH THE POSITIONING MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT OF THE DEPENDING TAPE PORTION THERETO TO TEMPORARILY SECURE THE TAPE PORTION AND TO PRESENT RESISTANCE TO PRESSURE AGAINST SAID TAPE PORTION TO SECURE SAID TAPE PORTION TO AN ARTICLE TO BE TAPED TO FACILITATE ATTACHMENT OF THE TAPE TO THE ARTICLE. 